Tennis and like racket press



A, I. FLGWER TENNIS AND LIKE RACKET PRIE SS Dec. 28

Filed Sept. 30. 1926 Patented Dec. 2S, 1926.

intatta Partnr orties.

ARTHUR :ISAAC FLOWER, GF LONDL, EllG-LAIQ'D.

TENNIS AND LKE BACKKET Application filed September 39,1926, Serial No. 138,756, and in Great Britain August 19, 1925.

This invention relates tol racket presses or the like for preventing the warping of lawn tennis or similar rackets whilst not in use, and of the type wherein there are employed two opposed clamping members having a plurality of radially extending arms having f 1ame-engaging extremities, said members being connected centrally through the mesh of the racket by a. bolt passing through the said members, for exerting an even pressure between the clamping surfaces of each clamping member and being so constructed that the opposed edges of the clamping members are spaced closer together towards the centres of said members than at the frame-engaging extremities of the arms, thus causing the central parts of the opposed surfaces of the arms to reside in the space between the upper and lower flat surfaces of the racket frame, that is toV say, within the depth of the racket frame.

According to the present invention, a tennis racket press consists of a pair of clamping members each comprising a plurality of radial arms which are tapered olf gradually in such a manner that the thinner ends are at the extremities. rlhe construction of said arms is such that the distance between the inner opposed edges gradually increases from the centre points of said clamping members to the extremities of the arms, whilst the outer surfaces of said arms are substantially flat and parallel to one another. c

The gradual taper shape as aforesaid of the arms ensures considerable strength and rigidity and enables lweight to be reduced to a minimum, whilst the parallel and fiat outer' surfaces ensure a minimum depth and overall thickness.

A further feature of the invention consists inthe channel formation of metal arms which, in conjunction with the taper shape of the arms, provides still greater strength, rigidity and reduction of weight.

A two-part clamping bolt is provided for tightening the two clamping members of the press on to the racket frame, consisting of an internally screwed female part firedly carried by one of said clamping members and extending across substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof, the other clamping member, and a male screw adapted to engage in said female part after the latter has been inserted in a central hole in the clamping member other than the one by which it is carried.

An important object of the invention is to facilitate the operation of fixing together in place the clamping members prior to inserting the male part of the clamping bolt, that is to say, to provide for guiding the upstanding end of the female. part of the bolt (which is rigidly attached to one clamping` member) intoI the central hole in the other member; and a further object is to provide for guiding the male part into the mouth of the female part after the latter has been placed in the central aperture in the clampingmember other than that by which it is carried. Said object is accomplished by countersinlring the clamping member other than the one holding the female part of the bolt, on the inner and/or outer face of said member around the bolt hole therein so that the said bolt hole opens out in conical fashion at the outer and/or inner face of the said clamping member. Thus an inclined surface is presented which will effectually guide the female part of the bolt into the said hole or guide the male part of the bolt into the female part when the latter is properly engaged in the said hole, as the case may be. rfhus either oneor both of the aforesaid objects are achieved, and the male or female parts of the bolt will slide down the inclined face of the countersink after the fashion of a funnel. Thus, even if the parts to be engaged are not originally placed in the correct relative lateral position, they will assume such correct position by sliding down the conical inclined face or faces.

A preferred construction of press is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device applied to a tennis racket.

Figure 2 is a sectional -edge view of the device on line a, L -Figure l; and,

Figure 3 is a cross-section von line ai, in Figure l. p

Figure. 4 isa fragmentary section of a modification hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, the device illustrated therein comprises two similar X- shaped parts 1 and 2, whose radiating arms 3 are of channel-section, the channels facing inwardly. The arms 3 are tapered off thinner towards their outer extremities in such a'fashion that the inner edges Li thereof arms. The said enlarged parts 5 are adapted to press on to the racket frame and will not cause damage thereto, and, as will be seen by referring to Figure 2, wherein a racket is shown dotted in section, the central parts of the two members 1 and 2 do not quite reach the strings or gut of the racket when the device is applied to the latter.

A bolt is provided for drawing together the two clamping members, aid bolt comprising two parts, viz z-an externally screwthreaded male part 6 and an internally threaded tubular female part 7 adapted to engage one another. The male port-ion 6 has a head S with a swivel hand grip 9, and, in the construction shown in Figures 1, 2

nd 3, the female part 7 has a head portion 10 constructed with squared portion 11 which closely fits in a square aperture in the clamping member 2. The female part 7 is also externally screwed to receive a nut 12 which screws down on the inside face of the member 9. into a recess 13 and fits down on to the shoulder 14. Thus the female member 7 is rigidly clamped in place in the member 2.

Tn the modification shown in Figure fi, the female part 7 ofthe bolt is externally screwthreaded up to its head 10, which latter may be circular, and said screw-threaded part is adapted to engage an internal screwthread in the neck 16 of the clamping inember 2. The head 10 ts snugly down into the recess 17 in the outer surface of the clamping member 2, and said head may have a transverse slot 18 for the reception of a screw-driver blade.

lt forms an important feature of the invention, that the clamping member 1 is countersunlr on its inner and outer surfaces around the bolt hole 19 therein so that said bolt hole opens out in conical fashion at each of its ends. Thus an inclined surface4 2O is presented which will effectually guide the female part 7 of the bolt into the said bolt hole, and an inclined surface 21 is presented which will effectively guide the male part 6 of the bolt into the female part 7 after the clamping member 1 has become properly engaged on the latter. Thus, if the said parts to be engaged together are not originally placed in the correct relative lateral position, they will asume such correct position by sliding down the conical inclined faces 20 or 21 as the case may be.

rEhe bolt hole 19 in the member 2 is of such a diameter that the female part 7 of the bolt is a close but easy lit therein and the outer countersunk 2l terminates in the form of a parallel-sided annular recess 22 for the accommodation of the male bolt head tis to be understood that the member 2 need not be countersunk on both inner and outer sides, but may be countersunk on one of such sides only, but in any case the female part 7 of the bolt will be first engaged i said member 2 before inserting the male part 6 of the bolt.4

in either of the constructions illustrated, the internal screw-thread on the female part 7 cf the bolt will be in a direction opposite to that ofthe screw-thread within said part 7, which engages the male part 6. That is to say, if the internal thread within said part is a right-hand one, the external thread thereon will be a left-hand one, and vice versa.

lt forms a feature that the screw-thread within the female part 7 does not extend completely to the mouth extremity of said part, but at a suitable distance down, a plain enlarged bore 15 thus being provided which serves as a guide for the male part 6 to the screw-thread of the female part 7.

The guiding means consisting of the counter-sinks on each side of the member 2, and the plain bore at the mouth of the female member, as hereinbefore described, considerably facilitates the operation of applying the press to a racket and of screwing up the press, especially when the players hand is somewhat unsteady after playing a strenuous game.

Owing to the inclination of the inner surfaces of the two clamping members, as hereinbefore described, the overall depth between the outer surfaces of the racketpress.

when applied to a racket is less than would e required to give the same strength were the inner surfaces of the members flat and parallel to one another. This affords accommodation for au envelope or cover for enclosing the racket without giving a bulky appearance. The two members may have substantially flat outer surfaces parallel with one another.

T claim f 1. A tennis racket press consisting of a pair of clamping members each comprising a plurality of radial arms tapered and thinning gradually from their inner ends to their extremities and so constructed that the distance between the inner opposed edges gradually increases from the centre of the members to the extremities of the arms, whilst the outer surfaces of the members are substantially flat and parallel to one another, a two-part central clamping bolt connecting the two members, comprising an in ternally screw-threaded female partwhich is fiXedly carried by one clamping` member and adapted to enter a Central bolt hole in the other clamping member, and a, male screw adapted to pass through said bolt hole and engage the female part, and a counter sunk entrance to the said bolt hole in the clan'iping member other than the member which fixedly carries the female part, at one or each end of said bolt holevfor 'guiding the male and/or female parts of the bolt into position.

A tennis racket press consisting of a pair of clamping members each comprising a plurality of radial arms of channel-shape in cross-section with theirI channels facing` inwardly, tapered and thinning,` gradually from their inner ends to their extremities7 and so constructed that the distance between the inner opposededges gradually increases from the centres of the members to the extremities 0f the arms, Whilst the outer surfaces of the members are substantially fiat and parallel to one another, a two-part cent 'al clamping bolt connecting the two members, comprising an internally screw-threaded female part which is iXedly carried by the clamping member and adapted to enter a central bolt hole in the other Clamping member, and a male screw adapted to pass through said bolt hole and engage the fe male part, the female part being so constructed that the screw-thread therein does not extend completely to the month of said part, there being a plain surface Within such female part which serves for guiding the male portion to the female screw-thread, and a eountersinkentrance to the said bolt hole in the clamping member other than the member which fixedly carries the female part, at one or each end of said bolthole for guiding the male and/or female parts of the bolt into position.

ln testimony whereof I have affixed my signature hereto this 9th day 'of Sept., 1926.

ARTHUR ISAAC FLOWER. 

